Mt Bromo, Java. 17 December 1985

Setting off in the pre-dawn darkness I walked from the caldera rim where the village of Cemoro Lawang is perched down into a barren lava field. I only had to follow the flickering kerosene lamps from horses that carried tourists. Above me a brilliant starscape, in front of me the silhouette of the classic volcanic cone shape of Gunung Batok, with Mt Bromo next to it crumpled from eruptions and surrounding me a vast outer caldera, the Tengger massif.

It seemed appropriate to play the spookily atmospheric track “Brilliant trees” by David Sylvian on my walkman. Pink hues to the east from the dawn light revealed the classic volcanic shape of Mt Semeru, releasing a smoky ash cloud. At 3,700m it’s Java’s highest peak.

At the top of Mt Bromo I looked down to the dormant crater and then walked right around the rim. There’s a good account of this area and photos here: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Bromo